Frontiers of Flight Museum Receives Boeing Grant to Support & Expand Its Young Women’s STEM Program

Dallas’ Frontiers of Flight Museum announced today that it has received a grant of $50,000 from The Boeing Company for the Young Women’s STEM Leadership Initiative (YWSLI) which will enhance and expand the Museum’s widely recognized educational program. As one of 17 grant recipients in Texas, the Frontiers of Flight Museum will continue its partnership with The Boeing Company to help make an impact on the community and build upon their combined efforts to broaden the awareness and interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields through aviation and space experiential learning. Visit: www.flightmuseum.com.

The Frontiers of Flight Museum’s YWSLI initiative will provide educational opportunities and experiences to more than 2,100 underserved female students in their pursuit of STEM related disciplines during the 2017-2018 school year.

Thanks to the Boeing Company grant, the Museum’s initiative will continue to increase the students’ knowledge of STEM-related principles in aerospace; and awareness of and interest in aerospace and STEM careers. It also will enhance analytical and problem-solving skills and provide leadership skill building opportunities.

“We aspire to be a top performer in every area of our business, and that includes leading in the communities where our employees and their families live and work,” said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing Chairman, President and ChiefExecutive Officer. “By harnessing our teammates’ unique skills and passion for giving, our professional networks and partnerships, and our financial resources, we will inspire the dreamers and doers of tomorrow and drive positive, lasting change in our communities across the globe.”

Anchored by local and regional employee-engagement activities, Boeing charitable grants are geared toward developing tomorrow’s innovators through investment in the skills required in today’s modern workplace, and supporting military veterans and their families transitioning into the civilian workforce. At a local level, Boeing investments address unique challenges and issues that are critical to those communities where the company operates.

In Dallas, the Boeing grant will help the Frontiers of Flight Museum strengthen its YWSLI education programs and encourage student interest in those fields, ultimately bolstering education for young women in the North Texas Community. Boeing has invested in this program since its inception.

The Museum’s YWSLI program is a collaborate effort between the Grand Prairie ISD's YoungWomen's Leadership Academy at Arnold, and the Dallas ISD’S Young Women's STEM Academy at Balch Springs Middle School. Both are public all-girl’s schools in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area which emphasize leadership, as well as STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education.

“The funding from Boeing allows the Museum to partner with these two schools to help increase the girls’ understanding of aerospace while instilling confidence in STEM education,” said Cheryl Sutterfield-Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Frontiers of Flight Museum. “This is particularly exciting because it may encourage many young women to consider careers in aviation and aerospace. The community as a whole and the aerospace industry in particular will benefit from more young women pursuing STEM careers and aerospace jobs.”

More than 1,500 students will participate in guided museum tours as well as onsite and outreach educational programming. Additional education opportunities will include special programs during Engineers Week and a one-week immersive camp during Spring Break, which offers an in-depth STEM based experience to increase analytical and problem-solving skills through experimentation and hands-on learning.

More than 60 students will participate in the Youth Volunteer Program to develop increased leadership and mentoring skills while building confidence and self-esteem; among several other educational opportunities and mentoring initiatives.

“Boeing is the world's leading aerospace company and known for its innovation,” said Sutterfield-Jones. “The Frontiers of Flight Museum is grateful for Boeing’s support of our future growth and innovative development of our educational programs. This is a significant donation, and one we are very proud of receiving.”

The Frontiers of Flight Museum is using the Young Women’s STEM Leadership Initiative to enhance the effectiveness of its current education programs while extending its reach to serve more girls. “This initiative gave us a roadmap with a clear course to enhance our quality STEM programming with new resources and activities that will help us inspire and empower young women across North Texas,” said Sutterfield-Jones.

The U.S. is experiencing a talent gap of 7 million skilled workers in the United States -- jobs requiring science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills that are not being developed according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, 20.4% of the workforce is currently in STEM positions; over the next 5 years the region is expected to experience the 4th largest STEM growth in the country. Women make up less than 25% of participants in STEM programs nationally and are at particularly low levels in aviation.

“Statistics suggest that there is tremendous growth opportunity for young women in STEM education and related careers,” said Sutterfield-Jones. “Thanks to Boeing’s support for our Young Women’s STEM Leadership Institute, the Frontiers of Flight Museum is better able to meet the accelerated demand for its outstanding STEM education programs. These efforts help contribute to increased technical literacy in the short-term, resulting in better-skilled employees in the long-term with a lasting impact on our community.”

About the Frontiers of Flight Museum

The Frontiers of Flight Museum, a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate, is a gem in the North Texas community that attracts over 100,000 visitors annually including 30,000 students. The Museum is conveniently located just north of downtown on Lemmon Avenue at the southeast side of Dallas Love Field Airport, north of Mockingbird Lane.

Housed in a modern 100,000-square-foot facility, the Frontiers of Flight Museum provides a focal point to explore the history and progress of aviation, as mankind continues to pursue going higher, faster and farther. Educational classes for all ages are offered throughout the year, designed to excite the imagination in science, technology, engineering, and math through spacecraft design, aerodynamics, model-building, space survival, and other disciplines.

Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and defense, space and security systems. A top U.S. exporter, the company supports airlines and U.S. and allied government customers in 150 countries.